About
The character 酾 (traditional: 釃) is a phono-semantic compound: its left radical 酉 indicates the broad category of alcohol, fermentation, or vessels, while its right component 丽 supplies the sound. The character was coined to name the particular brewing process of straining or filtering fermented beverages, separating the clear liquid from the solid dregs. Its usage has always been confined to this very specific meaning of refinement in the context of fermented drinks, showing no semantic broadening in its recorded history.
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